FOES first office: The very first Friends of the Earth Scotland office.Since 1978 Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) has gone from no paid staff to a team of 11, moved from a basement room to a city centre eco-office and grown from less than 100 members to 2,500.

Our timeline

1969 David Brower founds Friends of the Earth in San Francisco as a radical splinter of the Sierra Club

1970 FoE UK is born and local groups spring up across the country

Mahogany is murder: Cunning use of kids.1972 First Scottish FoE local group formed in Edinburgh

1978 Board of FoE Ltd gives formal approval to an independent organisation in Scotland and an inaugural meeting is held on 16 December. Scottish public fails to back devolution in numbers – FoES will have to wait 21 years before it has the chance to work with the Scottish Parliament

1979 First full time Co-ordinator is appointed. First national campaign launched – to protect the otter